From maternal hormones to malaria susceptibility and accelerated ageing: new insights from wild birds (MATHORMAL)

For centuries, malaria has been a major global health concern, and despite intensive research efforts, malaria infection remains a key issue for many countries. Malaria parasites are also responsible for wildlife population declines and even extinction of many bird species. Despite being exposed to the same risk, there is a clear inter-individual variation in the susceptibility to malaria infection. The proposal is that such inter-individual variability in malaria susceptibility might be linked to both the prenatal programming of physiology by maternal hormonal effects and by initial differences in cellular ageing (i.e. assessed through telomere length). Higher exposure to certain maternal hormones can depress immunity, accelerate cellular ageing, and deregulate the protective microbiome of the uropygial gland linked to antimalarial defensive mechanisms. To test the hypothesis, artificially increased yolk hormone experiments (glucocorticoid, testosterone, and thyroid hormones) will first be used in a wild bird population and assess malaria infection intensity, immunity, telomere dynamics, and uropygial microbiome. Then, an early-life telomere lengthening will be experimentally induced with TA-65 to assess the potential role that short telomeres play in malaria susceptibility. This project will advance recent understanding of the inter-individual variation in malaria susceptibility, which will help to improve malaria prevention strategies. MATHORMAL will use an integrative approach at the crossroad of evolutionary ecology, ecophysiology, and parasitology and largely benefit from the dual knowledge transfer between the PI (expertise in maternal hormonal effects and avian malaria) and the host group (expertise in maternal hormonal effects and telomere biology).

Project details

Basic Science

Sep 2023 — Aug 2025

$239,462

Finland